1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an IC socket in which contacts are displaced by a contact opening/closing cover so that they are brought into and out of contact with leads of an IC package, and more particularly to a contact positioning structure in the IC socket.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
As a conventional IC socket, there is known a device as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,609 and others, in which an IC package is received in an IC package receiving portion of a socket body from above, and contacts are displaced between a position for contacting leads of the IC package and a position for removing the contact relation, in response to upward and downward motion of a contact opening/closing cover.
In the above-mentioned conventional IC socket, the cover is lowered to displace the contacts rearwardly to a contact-relation removing position, so that the IC package is received in the IC package receiving portion, and the cover is raised to displace the contacts forwardly to a contacting position, so that the contacts are brought into contact with the IC leads. When the contacts are displaced forwardly and backwardly, twisting and/or side slip tends to occur. This results in poor electrical connection between the contacts and the leads.
Also, in the above prior art, in order to obviate the poor electrical connection, a positioning member integral with the socket body is disposed at location in the vicinity of the area where the IC lead and the contact are contacted with each other. The positioning member is adapted to correctly position the contacts. When the IC package is received in the IC package receiving portion of the socket body from above, if the positional alignment between the IC package and the socket body is not sufficient, there is a possibility that the IC leads of the IC package will contact the positioning members and the IC leads will be deformed.
Further, in order to prevent the twisting and/or side slip when the contacts are displaced forwardly and backwardly, the contact portion of each contact must be correctly positioned by the positioning member even at the time the contact is in its backward position. Consequently, the positioning member becomes inevitably large in size, very thin and high.